Former for hollow pottery-ware



(No Model) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

M. WALZ FORMER FOR HOLLOW POTTERY WARE. No. 246,576. v Patented Aug. 30,1881.

27" .c/ R 7 a b 2 lb lnvenlnn [QWW n. PETERS. Pholo-Lilhognlpher. Wnhingkon, n. c.

(N0 Model.) I 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

I M.- WALZ.

FORMER FOR HOLLOW POTTERY WARE. No. 246,576. Patented Aug. 30,1881.

Mflqizssps.v -111 111.

rear face of the same.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

MAXIMILIAN VVALZ, OF PITTSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA.

FORMER FOR HOLLOW POTTERY-WARE SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 246,576, dated August 30, 1881.

Application filed May 5, 1881. (No model.)

T all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, MAXIMILIAN WALZ, of

Pittsburg, in the county of Allegheny and State ofPennsylv-ania, haveinvented anew and useful Improvement in Formers for Hollow Pottery- Ware; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being bad to the accompanyin g drawin gs, forming part of this specification, in which Figure 1 is a plan View of my improved former. Fig.2 is a plan view of the same, showing the former extended; Fig. 3 is a plan view of the Fig. 4 is a detached plan view of the upper side of the larger movable plate or rib. Fig. 5 is a detached plan view of the upper side of the stock. Fig. 6 is a detached plan view of the connecting plate or rib. Fig. 7 is a detached plan view of the under side of the larger movable plate or rib. Fig. Sis a detached plan View of the under side of the stock. Figs. 9 and 10 are detached plan views of the under sides of the shoes, which fit on the ribs 6 and If.

Like letters of reference indicate like parts wherever they occur.

My invention relates to an improvement in formers used in the manufacture of potteryware; and it consists, mainly, in thecombination,with a fixed or stationary stock, of a formerplate adapted to slide thereon, the parts being connected by pins and cam-slots, so that the former-plate may be progressively projected beyond the stock; and, secondarily, in specific combinations, hereinafter more fully set forth.

Heretofore it has been customaryin the manufacture of earthenware vessels to place the clay in the mold on the wheel, and form the inside surface of the vessel by means of a plain mandrel or former, or, where the inside surface is other than a plain one, the work has to be accomplished by means of the hand of the workman. Consequently the operation is slow and tedious, and a skilled Workman can manufacture only about sixty vesselssuch as teapots-per day. Besides this, the vessels vary in weight and size. By the use ofmy improved former, however, the operation of manufacturin g vessels of earthenware is simple and rapid,

the workman being able to manufacture, on an average, six hundred vessels per day instead of sixty, and the vessels so formed are of an equal size. My former may be shaped so as to manufacture many kinds ofearthenwar'e vessels, the form shown in the drawings, however,

and described in this specification :is specially adapted for the manufacture of tea-pots.

The principal parts of myimproved former are, a stationary stock or plate of metal, over which is a movable plate or rib, which is conslots in the stationary stock, and alsoby a bolt extending from the'upper. face of the movable rib through acurved slot in a small connectingplate, which plate is pear-shaped and is hinged from the movable plate or rib through curved at its smaller end to the stock. This connect in g-plate also serves as a rib to form the bottom of the vessel, and both it and the movable plate or rib are covered by shoes of wood or oth er suitable material, so as not to cut the clay. Connected with the upper end of the movable rib is a lever which, when pulled down, causes the lower end of the movable rib to move so that the edge of the same shall extend beyond the side of the stock. On the under surface of the stock is a locking device attached to a suita- 8o crumed in and bearing against a ring on the stock. The stock is attached tothe end of a sliding bar, which fits in a groove in a casting, which casting is secured to a standard. At the other end of the sliding bar is attached a rope which passes over a pulley and has a weight secured to its outerend, so as to balance the former.

I will now describe my invention so that others skilled in the art may manufacture and use the same.

In the drawings, a represents the casting, which is fastened to a suitable post or standard by screws or bolts. Down the middle of this casting extends a groove, which has inclined or beveled sides, and in this groove fits the sliding bar 0, which may be secured by means of the bar I), which fits between the sliding bar 0 and the edge of the groove, and the set-screw c, which bearsagainst the bar I). v

On the sliding bar 0, above the casting a, is a movable collar, d, which is secured by a setserew, d. The purpose of this collar is to adjust the distance which the former should be lowered.

At the upper end of thebar c is a ring-bolt, d, to which is attached a rope, which passes thence over a pulley, and at the other end of the rope is aweight, so as to balance the former.

On the sliding bar 0 is a needle or pointer, and on the casting is a graduated scale, so as to determine the exact distance for lowering the former.

Attached to the lower portion of the sliding bar 0 is the stock 0, on top of which rests the rib e.

Extending from the upper end of the rib e is a short rod or bar, 6 one end of which is hiuged,by means of a bolt or screw, to the rib e, and the other end is hinged in a like manner to the rod 0, which passes along the rod 0,

and is held in'place by the collar 0.

Attached to the rod 0 is a handle, 0", for moving the same, and from this handle extends a spring, e", the other end of which is attached to the rod 0.

Near the top of the rib e is a longitudinal slot or opening, f, from the upper end of which extends, 'at nearly a right angle to the same, another slot or opening, f.

Extending through the slot f from the stock 0, is a belt or screw, f the head of which secures a washer or ring, so that it extends over the sides of the slot, and while securing the rib e to the stock 6, allows the screw f to move in the slot f. The edge of one side of the rib c, at the upper portion thereof, is provided with a recess, 9, above which. is a projection,

g, the purpose of which is to form the rim.

around the top of the vessel.

In the lower end of the rib e, on the upper surface, and at one side of the middle of the same, is a screw, h, which passes through a curved slot, h, in the small plate or rib, h, which is pear-shaped, and the smaller end of which is hinged to the end of the stock a.

From a point near the top of and at one side of the rib 0 extends a rod or lever, t, which passes through a ring or staple, j, secured to the stock 0. Through the stock 0, near the bottom of the same, extending at an angle across the middle of the stock, is a slot, 70, at the lower end of which is an offset, 7:. Extending through the slot k is a screwor bolt, 76, which is secured in the rear face of the sliding former plate or rib 6.

Just below the slot k in thestock e, extending from the middle of the stock to the side of the same, is another slot, it, through which passes a pin, W, from the rear face of the rib e. Below the slot k in the stock 6 is a pin, 1.

Hinged by a bolt, 1, to one side at the lower portion of the stock 0, is a plate, V, on the lower side of which is a notch or recess, 1 and at the end of the plate is another recess, 1.

Hinged to and extending from the plate I to a point near the top ofthe stock 0 is a rod, 1 the other end of which is hinged to the end of the lever i which leveris pivoted or hinged to the face of the stockc by a bolt, l At the end of the lever l is a handle.

On the face of the plate lis a pin, 1, which, by striking against the rod 1 prevents the plate from being drawn too far back.

Fastencd to the face of the stock 0, near the top of the same, is a spring, m, which extends to the bottom of the stock. The lower end of the spring is curved so as to form a hook, m.

The faces of the ribs 6 and h are covered by shoesp and 1), of wood or other suitable material, so as not to cut the clay. The under surfaces of these shoes are recessed, so as not to interfere with the screws f and h and lever i when the ribs 0 and h are moved.

The operation of my improved former is as follows: The clay is placed in the mold on the wheel, the collar d is adjusted, and the sliding bar is lowered until the former enters the mold. The lever e is pulled forward, which pushes down the rib e, it being guided in its movement by the boltf in the slot], the bolt h in the slot h, the bolt Win the slot k, and the pin k in the slot It, so that when the movementis finished the lower end of the rib 0 shall beextended out beyond the edge of the stock e, while the rib h is turned round, so that its side shall form a forming-edge between the ends of the stock a and rib e, and thereby form the bottom of the vessel. The end of the ward the plate P, so that the notch l shall eugage with the pin 1 and the notch I shall engage with the pin k, and thereby lock the lower portion of the disks in this position. This is necessary, as the curve m of the spring m, having caught on the pin, has a tendency to throw the ribs back into their original position, which tendency is increased by the action of the spring 6', attached to the lever 0 The lever 1' is then moved out from the sliding rod 0, which moves out the upper portion of the rib e, the bolt f guiding the motion by the slot f, and the bolt it moving into the slot or oifset k. This moves the edge of rib 6 out sufiiciently to form the entire inside surface of the vessel. The leveri is pushed back again. The lever e is then pulled down, which releases the ribs 0 and h, and allows them to be carried to their original position by the force of the springs m and e", the spring m acting specially to carry the bolt 16 out of the offset k. The former is then withdrawn from the mold and another vessel is formed in the same manner.

Instead of two ribs a greater number may be used, working upon the same principle, according to the shape of the vessel to be manufactured.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In an expansible tool for forming pottery or like plastic material, the combination of a fixed or stationary stock and a sliding forming plate or rib mounted thereon, the parts being connected by pins and cam-slots, whereby the forming-plate may be progressively projected beyond the fixed stock, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

2. An expansible potters tool consisting of a-stationary stock a movable forming-rib mounted on said stock by headed pins extending and moving in slots at each end, the lower slots curving outward and downward, and the upper one being of angular shape, and levers for moving the rib so that it shall be projected first at the lower and then at the upper end, substantiallyas and for the purposes described.

3. An expansiblepotters tool havinga stock, a movable forming-tool mounted on said stock, and a plate constituting the bottom former,

' pivoted to one part and movably attached to the other by a slot and headed pin, substantially as and for the purpose described.

4. In an expansible tool for forming pottery and like plastic material, the combination of downward and outward movement of theforrnin g-plate on the stock, a locking-plate adapted to secure one end of the sliding forming-plate, and a setof springs, adapted to cause the return movement of the forming-plate when the same is released by the locking-plate, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

MAXIMlLIAN WALZ. Witnesses:

B. MCKENNA,

I. K. BAKEWELL. 

